A Passion for Driving

A Passion for Driving

Two days after I turned 15.5 years old, I got my learner’s permit, and I got my license 6 months later. I am fortunate to have two parents who emphasize driver safety and allow me the freedom to practice driving as much as possible so that I can learn to be safe behind the wheel. I believe driver education plays a significant factor in reducing the number of deaths due to driving. When I got my permit, my dad had me drive him everywhere: to the grocery store, to restaurants, every day to school. Even when our school hosted field trips, my dad or mom would insist on having me drive separately from my classmates – two hours east to Folsom, eight hours south to Los Angeles. In short, my parents have instituted the idea in me that driver education and experience are exceedingly important in order to be a safe and competent driver.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recorded the highest causes of car-related deaths as drunk driving, not wearing safety belts, and speeding. In 2019, almost 40,000 people died due to car accidents. This is my solution proposal that may reduce death related to driving. In California, drivers are required to renew their license every 5 years. This includes an application, an eye checkup, and the submission of certain documents. In addition to this, I’d like to include a driving exam as well. That way drivers can be reminded and check on so that they can be safer and more reliable drivers.

To address the concern of driver recklessness, I spoke directly with my mom and dad in regard to this issue, where my mom shared this story with me. When she was in college, on a foggy morning, my mother was in the passenger seat while her friend was driving. There were not too many cars out on the 4-lane road they were driving on and the two of them were approaching an intersection with a 6-lane boulevard. As they neared the crossing, the stoplight changed from red to green, allowing them to pass as the cars on either side of them were signaled to stop. As they moved through the intersection, one car zoomed out from their left and crashed into the side of their vehicle, totaling the car. After further investigation, it was found that the man who hit them had a heart attack and was sent to the hospital. Nobody in my mother’s car was hurt too extensively, but it was quite the life-altering event and reminded my mother of the importance of being an alert and focused driver. In the end, my mother signified the moral of the story as the following: although this accident was nobody’s fault, it is extremely important to pay attention to everything that is happening around your car. As I gain more experience as a driver, I will take the time, effort, and care to remember and institute being an alert and focused drivers as much as possible.